The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council
Elected officials, local residents cite speeding through traffic, coming impacts of Barclays Center as requiring new solutions
The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council today announced that its application to the New York City Department of Transportation for a Neighborhood Slow Zone (NSZ) in Prospect Heights has received the support of Community Board 8, Councilmember Letitia James, Assembly members Hakeem Jeffries and Joan Millman, and State Senators Velmanette Montgomery and Eric Adams.
Neighborhood Slow Zones are a recent initiative of NYC DOT that reduces the speed limit from 30 mph to 20 mph on residential streets, and adds safety measures within a select area in order to change driver behavior. The ultimate goal of the Neighborhood Slow Zone program is to lower the incidence and severity of crashes and to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Over 1,200 people have signed petitions calling for the establishment of an NSZ in Prospect Heights. PHNDC has also received letters of support from the following organizations and community groups:
Community and Business Groups
Schools and Children’s Programs
Daycare Centers/Pre-K/Head-Start
Service and Residential Facilities and Houses of Worship
According to crashstat.org, Prospect Heights has seen a significant number of accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles since 2005. In a letter of support to PHNDC signed by 111 parents at P.S. 9, the group wrote, “As parents, we are all familiar with the diligence that must be exercised when taking children across certain intersections in the neighborhood and the frequency with which we witness cars barreling down the street at excessive speeds.”
The intersection of Prospect Place and Underhill Avenue, next to the Underhill Playground, has been the site of a multi-car accident in each of the last three years. In a letter to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Assemblywoman Millman wrote, “It is nothing short of a miracle that no children were injured.” Citing the opening of the Barclays Center arena, Assemblyman Jeffries wrote, “Given the already dangerous conditions on Prospect Heights residential streets, it is imperative that all reasonable steps be taken to protect pedestrians and bicyclists from the increased impact of traffic from the arena.” Noting the speed-reducing measures to be implemented under the proposed NSZ, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery wrote, “The reduction in speed in the NSZ from 30 mph to 20mph, together with signage and other improvements clearly alerting drivers entering residential areas, will help reduce the potential for accidents in the years ahead.”
Councilmember Letitia James said, “Increased traffic on the residential streets of Prospect Heights is a growing concern, specifically with the Barclays Center soon opening in the area. There is no neighborhood in New York City that could benefit more from a Neighborhood Slow Zone than this one. I look forward to working with NYC DOT to create a slow zone in Prospect Heights that will make local streets safer for its residents, visitors and schoolchildren.”
More information about the proposed Neighborhood Slow Zone for Prospect Heights is available at https://phndc.org/content/phndc-submits-application-neighborhood-slow-zone-prospect-heights.